


Glitch in the System: Opposites Attract

by SystemGlitch



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/F, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 07:51:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14131521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SystemGlitch/pseuds/SystemGlitch
Summary: A two-part series about an unlikely friendship.Part 1: Amp it Up, by E.Part 2: The Beat Goes On, by E.





	1. Amp it Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By E.   
> A short visit happens.

The mission was one by the books: intercept critical data, disrupt defenses, eradicate prime targets, and get out. In reality it was a bit beneath their skill sets, but sometimes even international hackers and the world’s best sniper needed to take a break from hack-proof firewalls and high profile targets.

“Another hack and whack to write home about,” Sombra announced with satisfaction as she sealed the electronic doors behind them. It was an added measure of security largely unneeded - anyone immediately mindful of their presence had been silenced the moment awareness of their infiltration had dawned.

“Do not call it that,” Widow replied as they walked unhurriedly through the dark, winding streets to their makeshift rendezvous.

“Would you prefer splice and dice?”

The sniper let out a groan of annoyance, but Sombra could see her trying to hide her smile. “You took care of arrangements?” Widow asked as they paused alongside a stack of metal crates hovering in an alley, deftly dismantling the Widow’s Kiss and setting it into her case. She treated it with all the care one might afford a precious glass vase without sacrificing an ounce of speed in the process. After a decade of service, the Kiss didn’t have a single scratch on it. Sombra had checked.

“Yup,” Sombra replied, nodding a bit too readily and smiling a bit too wide.

Widow snapped the case shut and stood, looking down at her. “Are you certain about that?” she asked, fingers curled around the handle, eyebrow raised in suspicion.

“ _Sí cielito_ ,” Sombra answered. “Prime accommodations with a view of the city.”

“I see,” Widow replied, eying her warily. Hefting the case into her other hand, she nodded at Sombra. “Then lead the way.”

* * *

Their journey from the rendezvous point to their evening’s accommodations took them through the gamut of public transportation. Sombra loved it, hanging over the railing of the lift train that took them out of the city proper and up into the cliffside houses that dotted the mountains as Widow stood back uncomfortably. The lift wasn’t particularly crowded, but it wasn’t empty, either. A child of about five ran by her, his mother angrily in tow as he galloped between the rows of bright green and yellow seats.

“Not a fan of heights?” Sombra asked when Widow shook her head at joining her along the railing.

“Is that a serious question?” the sniper replied, and Sombra laughed.

“Come here,” she said, reaching out to pull Widow from the pole she was clutching to her side. “You don’t have to enjoy it or anything, don’t worry.” She grinned up at Widow as the wind whipped her hair into her face, wrapping an arm around the taller woman’s waist.

Widow looked down as the landscape plodded along beneath them; a city of ants and colorful toy houses as viewed from the skies above.

“So small from up here,” Widow mused, pressed against Sombra’s side. “And yet not far enough to miss a shot.”

“Only you could make that sound romantic,” Sombra replied in amusement. The lift train slid to a halt, and the conductor announced their stop.

“That’s us,” Sombra said, grabbing for Widowmaker’s hand to join in the small exodus of patrons likewise exiting the train. “Shouldn’t be too far from where we’re staying.”

“And where are we staying again?” Widow asked.

“You’ll see,” Sombra replied evasively.

They walked along the steep cobbled streets, hand in hand, until they approached a home that somehow stood out despite being identical to the rest of the white-walled buildings around it. It was not lavish or particularly impressive, but it was certainly well cared for. There was a small garden along the side from which a variety of flowers were growing, and the yard was manicured and well-kempt, if a bit kitschy. A trail of flat red granite led to the front door, floating orbs lining the path to light the way as the sunlight began to wane in the sky.

It was that aspect, perhaps; the careful upkeep and obvious devotion that went into the building that set it apart from the rest. It was not as though the other homes were poorly maintained so much as none quite shone with the same amount of care. It was almost as if it glowed from the inside out.

Sombra walked up the path and knocked.

“This does not look like a Talon establishment,” Widow replied, eyes scanning the surroundings from where they stood on the front step, sandwiched between a spinning rainbow pinwheel and a cheery red birdhouse.

“It’s not,” Sombra said, shrugging casually. “In fact, how about we just, you know - stop using the word ‘Talon’ all together for the day?”

Widow, her suspicion already obviously aroused, narrowed her eyes. “Sombra,” she said, the timber of her voice dropping a note below ‘threatening’ and rapidly nearing ‘murderous.’ “Whose house is this?”

As though in answer to her question, the door clicked and opened a moment later as the occupant stepped out to greet them with a wide and genuine smile.

“Oh hey!” Lúcio said, stepping back to hold the door for them. “Come on in!”

* * *

At first, Widowmaker did not move, her jaw agape as Lúcio stood there waiting for them to enter.

Sombra pushed past her, elbowing the assassin as she slipped by. “Stop being weird,” she whispered. Widowmaker frowned and said nothing to reply, but regained her composure almost immediately and followed Sombra into the house.

“Welcome to my humble Rio abode. Can I take anything for you?” Lúcio asked, holding out his arms. Sombra handed him her bag of supplies without any hesitation; Widowmaker was a bit less forthcoming with her own possessions. “Is that a rifle case?” Lúcio asked he took Sombra’s bag and looked to Widow, eyeing the extremely-obvious rifle case Widow was carrying.

She paused for a brief moment. “No,” she eventually replied, deadpan as ever. Lúcio looked at Sombra; Sombra shrugged in return.

“Cool,” he replied with a smile as they all ignored the obvious lie. Making no additional attempt to take it, he gestured for them to follow. “Let me give you the grand tour!”

Lúcio’s home was comfortable, lived in, and far less ostentatious than it had any right to be for someone of his renown and fame. At this point, though, Sombra wasn’t surprised - the man lived a life of authenticity in all aspects of his reality, and while for anyone else Sombra might think it was put on for show, with Lúcio, it just seemed genuine through and through.

Still, though - he could have splurged on some better tech.

“You can stay in here tonight,” Lúcio said, pausing at a doorway as they walked down the hall. “I haven’t used my guest room for anything but an office in a while, so sorry if it’s a bit of a mess.”

“You haven’t seen Sofia’s room,” Widow commented drily as they walked in and set their belongings on the bed. She only stumbled slightly over Sombra’s name, catching the ‘m’ between her teeth in such a manner that only Sombra caught the slip.

“Totally have,” he laughed.

Widow canted her head curiously at Sombra.

“What?” she asked, shrugging. “Video chats.”

Sombra heard the galloping feet before Widowmaker, and turned to see what must have been a dog but what looked more like a giant dog-shaped horse come careening into the bedroom. It slid to a stop at Widowmaker’s feet and before either woman could react, leaped to put its huge front paws on the woman’s shoulders.

Widowmaker stared at the dog, her golden eyes no match for its soft brown ones. As gentle as could be, the lanky black and tan animal pressed its snout forward and gave her a single, soft kiss on the nose.

“You have a horse,” she said, clearly uncertain how to react and obviously uncomfortable with the proximity of the animal.

“Ah, sorry,” Lúcio said sheepishly, scratching at the back of his neck. “Come on Danu, get down.” The dog looked over at him and complied far more readily than Sombra would have expected considering the enthusiasm which which it had entered the room.

“Well trained,” she commented. “Good girl.” Leaning down, she put out her hand, and Danu trotted over to sniff her. Sombra scratched her ears. They were soft and floppy, and reminded her of one of her favorite mongrel pups from her childhood life on the streets. Danu whined softly and licked her hand.

“Gotta be,” Lúcio replied, watching the dog as she wagged her tail. “She comes on tour with me a lot. Can’t have her chewing up the machines, right?”

Danu panted in response, one ear flipping backwards as she turned her head excitedly between Lúcio and the newcomers.

“She’s adorable,” Sombra said, smiling as Danu pressed her head against her hand for more attention. “Kind of a novelty. I’m used to cats.”

“Smaller. Less trouble.” Widow frowned, considering her words. “Easier to clean up after, at least.”

“Yeah I wouldn’t exactly position Toulouse as the pinnacle of good cat behavior. Yesterday he peed in your sock drawer.”

Widow turned slowly to regard Sombra starkly. “ _What_?”

“Guess I forgot to tell you,” she said sheepishly, shrugging. “Wanna show me the rest of the house?” Sombra asked, quickly skirting Widow’s response and scurrying from the room.

Lúcio shrugged helplessly at Widowmaker who only sighed, and they commenced their tour of the superstar’s abode. It was definitely large, but didn’t feel excessive, and he clearly cared about his space. He showed them his studio last, and then took them downstairs into the finished basement where it appeared he’d stored the majority of his more impressive tech.

 _Much better_ , Sombra thought to herself, placing her hands on her hips and looking around appraisingly.

“You wanna play a game?” Lúcio asked, gesturing at his collection of systems spanning the walls and underneath the enormous holo-projector on the wall.

“Absolutely. It’s been forever since I had a chance to play anything,” Sombra agreed readily. “You’ve got a pretty good collection here.”

“Single player, multi, MMO?” He looked around and laughed. “I even got some classic board games. You ever play Candy Land?”

The two of them spent the next fifteen minutes perusing Lúcio’s collection, eventually settling on an old co-op shooter they could play casually without too much need for attention. Danu followed them around from shelf to shelf, wagging her tail in casual anticipation of them finally deciding and sitting down. Widow reclined herself on the couch, curled up with a book and a blanket, looking soft and comfortable in a way Sombra had never seen her before. She smiled and filed the memory away for later, not knowing the next time it might happen.

“Does she always stay near you?” Sombra asked, biting back a cheer of triumph as she obliterated Lúcio’s virtual mech.

“Yeah, ever since she was a pup,” Lúcio replied, leaning down to pat Danu on the nose. She kept snoozing, head resting on his foot as he relaxed. “She and her sister Tita were strays in the favela. I couldn’t just let them starve - they were too friendly, and friendly dogs don’t usually end up in good places.” He straightened and picked up his controller as the next match loaded. “My sister took Tita and I took Danu. We still have play dates down in the city so they can see each other.”

“We got Toulouse off the streets too,” Sombra replied, smiling at the dog and her owner. “Strange how important they become to us, isn’t it?”

They stayed up gaming and talking for a long time, sharing stories of their youth, tales of rebel acts, and their mutual appreciation for games of skill. Sombra eagerly told of the time Widowmaker won her a stuffed spider at a street faire in Paris, much to the other woman’s chagrin. She could see her smiling over her book, though, despite her complaints.

When it was time for bed, Widow laid down on Sombra’s chest, her head against her heart and one hand pressed against her collarbone. They were still for a long while, neither sleeping but neither talking either, until Sombra saw Widow’s golden eyes flicker upwards.

“We are having a sleepover,” she said, voice soft and even with no hint of mockery, “at your friend’s house.”

“My  _best_ friend, if you want to get really grade school about it.” Sombra reached up and brushed Widow’s hair back from her eyes where it had wafted into her face in the odd, almost sentient way it often moved. “Mostly because there aren’t a whole lot of other contenders for the title.”

She felt Widowmaker smile against her skin. “It is an odd feeling, this,” she said. “Normal in a way I never would have expected to find comfort in.”

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Sombra agreed, looking around at the guest room they were in. It wasn’t lavish like Talon’s typical arrangements, or decrepit and musty like their last minute desperate overnight grabs when time was of the essence and pickings were slim. It was just a cozy, lived-in room with dark green curtains hanging over the windows, a cluttered desk in the corner, and dim lights floating off in the corners timed to go out as the evening waned. It was, as Widow said, perfectly normal.

“Yes,” Widowmaker replied. “It is very nice.” She closed her eyes, breathing slowly in time with Sombra’s own rising chest.

Smiling, Sombra followed suit.


	2. The Beat Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By E.  
> The dog park happens.

“Hey hey!” Lúcio announced as Sombra and Widowmaker emerged from their room, Sombra rubbing the sleep from her eyes in pyjamas, Widowmaker already dressed for the day and as alert as ever. “You lot like pancakes?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Sombra replied immediately, leaving Widow’s side in a mad dash for the kitchen.

“You made us breakfast?” Widowmaker said, looking suspicious.

“Well yeah,” Lúcio laughed, peering out from the kitchen. He was wearing a dark green apron with his signature frog logo on it, and the scent of warm cinnamon wafted behind him. “That’s what a good host does.”

“Oh,” Widow replied, and Sombra could see her struggling to reconcile his unprompted kindness. The hesitation was obvious enough that Lúcio began to look a bit nervous until Widow unfurrowed her brows and looked up. “Pancakes are fine.” Then, to herself. “Why is it always pancakes?”

“Breakfast is ready, then!” he said, smile resuming its usual spot across his face. “Maple or hot fudge?”

“ _Hot fudge_?” Sombra asked incredulously. “ _Excuse me_?”

“Yeah, right?” he grinned, handing Sombra a plate. “I was a maple boy myself until Hana turned me onto the idea of hot fudge over banana pancakes. Wanna give it a shot?”

“ _Sí absolutamente_ ,” Sombra said without missing a beat, taking the banana he offered her next.

“I am not that adventurous,” Widow said as Lúcio passed her a plate. “I will be fine with maple.”

“Nothing wrong with the old standby,” he nodded. “Y’all sit, I’ll bring out the accoutrements.” He added a French accent to the last word, vanishing before Widow could judge him appropriately for it.

Breakfast was an easy affair - pancakes, some fresh local fruits, and a mix of tea and coffee offerings. Conversation was even easier - a feat Sombra missed from her time in Dorado - and they idled for a bit after finishing until Danu made it readily apparent that she needed to be let out.

“Anyone want to go on a walk?” Lúcio asked. Danu was the first to reply, with an exuberant bark and a wagging tail, and Sombra nodded as well.

“I could use some sun,” she said, glancing outside. It looked beautiful, if warm, and she missed the reliable muggy heat of home.

“I will finalize the plans for our departure?” Widowmaker suggested, raising an eyebrow.

“Good plan,  _araña_ ,” Sombra agreed. Lúcio snapped a leash onto Danu’s dollar and they were off.

* * *

It was late enough that the sun was shining, and early enough that the full weight of the oppressive midday Brazilian heat had yet to settle on the mountainside community. Danu walked nicely on her leash, sticking close to Lúcio’s side as they strolled down the smooth walkway that looped around the neighborhood. She didn’t tug at the leash once, and Sombra marveled yet again at how well Lúcio had managed to train her despite his impressively full calendar. The guy was booked solid for the next month - they’d just managed to catch him in time. She’d checked before asking to stay with him, of course.

“Where we headed?” Sombra asked, hands at her sides as they strolled along the walking path beside the road.

“Dog park down the way,” he said as a hovercar ambled by them. “Danu loves it so long as Bella isn’t there.”

“Bella?” Sombra asked, looking around. The neighborhood was a far cry from the favelas she knew Lúcio had grown up in, but a general feeling of camaraderie seemed to exist even within these spaced out structures. Folks outside tending their gardens or walking their dogs waved and called out to him by name, and he had a smile and personal greeting for each person they passed.

“One of the local dogs. Young boxer. Good pup, but a little rambunctious for Danu.” He chuckled and patted her head. “She might be big, but she’s a giant baby.”

“Poor girl.”

“Eh, she puts up with a lot,” he grinned. They turned a corner into what appeared to be a community park, and a few minutes later reached a large fenced in plot of land with several dogs playing as their accompanying humans chatted along the sides.

Lúcio unsnapped Danu’s leash and, after looking back for his nod of approval, she dashed off to join the others by the agility course and robotic fetch machines. One of the smaller dogs was yapping angrily at a robot as it held a ball out of reach, slowly winding back in preparation to pitch it into the distance. As the bot’s arm snapped and the ball flew, Danu trampled the small, eager pup and nabbed the ball before it even hit the ground.

“Oops,” Sombra said, grinning as she and Lúcio found a bench to sit on. “And you said she was a baby.”

“Even babies can be bullies,” he replied, amused. “She’s a gentle giant though.”

“Tell that to the terrier she just stepped on.”

Lúcio chuckled to himself as a large wolfhound raced by them, barking at another dog escaping with its toy. “That’s Breno,” he said as the hound passed. “He’s got a good spirit, even though he usually ends up being the punching bag of the park. Something about his size just makes him a target for attention it seems.”

“And Danielle thought Danu was a horse,” Sombra said, watching Breno lope hopefully over to the dachshund worrying his stuffed banana.

“His human’s over there,” Lúcio said, pointing as a diminutive woman sitting at a table eating a sandwich. “The irony thickens.”

“This is neat. I’ve never been to a dog park,” Sombra mused, leaning forward on her hands. “Weird, considering how much traveling I’ve done.”

“You don’t have a dog, do you?”

“Nope, just a very personable cat.”

“No occasion to visit the local dog parks then, I’d wager.” The conversation stalled slightly, and they turned their attention to the variety of happy canines and their companions. “Where have you traveled, anyway?” Lúcio asked casually after a few moments, following her eyes as she watched the dogs run.

“Just, you know,” she shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable and acutely aware that her open-ended comment had left her open to questions. “Around.” She’d let their easy camaraderie put her off guard, and she wasn’t ready with a compelling lie. A part of her, she noticed with a slow rising horror, didn’t even feel like trying.

“For any reason?” he pressed, and she noticed he was pointedly not making eye contact.

“Fun, I guess,” she replied slowly, racking her brain to come up with something believable. Traveling artist? Too flowery. Mobile consultant? Too dry. International IT? Ew.

“Fun?” Lúcio looked over at her with a curious expression on his face as she spoke, and she felt warning bells go off in her head. Familiar, gut-wrenching warning bells.

“And work,” she continued awkwardly, settling on a nondescript mixture of her vague train of thought. “I benefit from continuous business trips.”

Lúcio raised an eyebrow at her, draping an arm over the back of the bench. She saw him cast a glance around before he leaned slightly closer with a slow-dawning smirk on his face.

“Business trips, huh?” he said conspiratorially. “Is that just what you named them or are they called that in your dossiers from Talon, too?”

She sat up straight, an icy fear crawling up her spine like a spider. “What do you mean?” she asked, feeling any effort at denying the claim slipping through her teeth.

“Oh come on,  _Sombra_ ,” he rolled his eyes. “I’ve known for a while.”

“How?” she asked in such a manner that Lúcio’s smile faltered ever so slightly.

“You weren’t exactly discreet,” he said, shrugging off his concern. “Hyper-cybridized former Los Muertos hacker involved in the LumériCo break-in? An uncanny knowledge of technology and networking? Mysteriously always surrounded by bright purple hard light screens with no CPU in sight?”

“Oops,” Sombra replied, remembering their several video chats wherein she took almost no precautions against what Lúcio had seen, only what he might find should he attempt to tap her connection.  _Programming error,_  she sighed to herself.

“I mean, I’ve read the Overwatch briefs.” He shrugged, seeming far too lackadaisical for a guy who just casually accused her of being involved in international terrorism.

“How -” she asked, her curiosity momentarily surpassing her worry. “How did you get classified briefings?”

“Hana,” he replied, offering her a rueful half smile. “She likes to make fun of how much they resemble StarCraft strategies. They might be full of propaganda and hyperbole, but some details stick out.”

“Like the brainwashed blue assassin?”

“Yeah, like that.”

Sombra’s brain raced, not an uncommon occurrence in itself, but this time it was tinged with an unfamiliar panic. Lúcio was a friend - a  _valued_  friend as it turned out, and no one in their right mind would keep her around once they knew who she really was.

Would she have to kill him? Somehow, the idea of sending Widowmaker after Lúcio made her more sick than her decision to remove Miguel as a security threat, even though - all things considered - Lúcio was a far greater concern than the low-status errand boy she once knew as a child.

In all honesty, she didn’t think she could do it, no matter what the consequences. Not now. She had a friend, and the importance of that had settled into her bones.

“I don’t have a great answer to this,” she said morosely, her weak response more palatable than the growing silence between them. Danu barked in the distance, the dog oblivious to what was happening a few feet away. “I did what I had to.”

“You had to work for Talon?” he asked, hands in his pockets as he looked off where Danu was jumping around happily. His tone was mildly accusatory, and while she bristled against it, she also had trouble finding fault in his distaste. She wasn’t a big fan of it herself.

“I didn’t have to,” she shrugged, upset at the turn the conversation had made. “And I only kind of work for them. It’s more an arrangement of convenience.”

“But Danielle…” he said. “She works for them.”

Sombra’s expression turned bitter. “She was created by them; she had no choice.”

“She’s still a murderer.”

“So am I.”

“But she  _likes_  to kill.”

“Well I love her anyway.”

Lúcio stopped and looked at her finally, smiling softly. “You what?”

“Shut up.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

Sombra looked over at Lúcio to see his typical impish grin in place replacing the uncertainty that had lived there moments before. Offering a smaller one in return, she smacked him on the shoulder. “Jerk.”

“You know I only drop the truth.”

They laughed, but Sombra could feel the looming elephant in the room threaten to smother them again. She decided to beat it to the punch. “Listen, I know I’ve done some questionable - ok,  _shitty_ things, and that maybe my methods aren’t always the most…ethical. I enjoy manipulating those in power, because I  _can_ , and because I’m tired of watching the world be run by a handful of corrupt individuals with egoes to feed. But I swear on my mother’s grave,” she insisted, holding up a hand, “I am doing it for a greater good. I just…” she sighed. “Might not know exactly what that is yet. Not completely.”

Lúcio put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. “We never do, do we? I didn’t know stealing my sound barrier would work; I just knew something had to be done, because things were bad and that was the only truth I knew for certain. Chances were just as good the Vishkar would have leveled the favela and everyone in it as punishment for my actions. There’s precedent for that, after all.”

“You’d certainly have made a convenient scapegoat,” Sombra agreed.

“Sure would have. As luck had it, the people had my back and were willing to put their bodies on the line for their freedom. Without that?” he shrugged. “I would have just been another corpse thrown against the cold metal shell of the Vishkar machine.”

“Survival’s a hell of a motivator, isn’t she?”

“Sure is.” He scratched the back of his head. “Listen, we all make choices for a reason, and I might not agree with all of yours, but I am the last person going to tell you that you shouldn’t have made them. Besides,” he chuckled. “I like having a friend to talk about this stuff with.”

“Yeah,” Sombra said, feeling uncharacteristically chagrined. “It’s been a while since I had a friend.”

“Me too, man,” Lúcio nodded in agreement.

Sombra scoffed. “You’re a fuckin’ liar. You’re man of the hour here - everyone knows you and loves you.” A part of her couldn’t help but feel hurt whenever she thought of how easily her role in LumériCo’s downfall was dismissed as an act of terrorism by those outside her country. At least Brazil loved Lúcio for what he did.

To her surprise, Lúcio’s response was laughter. “Yeah, I get how you might think that. Everyone does.” He whistled for Danu and the tall animal stopped worrying the stick she had pinned to the ground, ears perked up as he called her over. “I don’t want to sound like some ungrateful guy with too much fame, but sometimes it can get a bit lonely in the spotlight.” He shrugged, snapping Danu’s leash back onto her red collar as she loped to his side. “Folks forget where the music came from. I still got scars from where I dragged myself up out of the dirt, and I could have been killed stealing that Vishkar tech.” He looked at Sombra, his expression intent, and a little bit sad. “Sometimes you gotta break some rules to do what’s right, but the folks buying and promoting my music don’t always want to hear that, you dig?”

Sombra looked away and smiled. “Yeah,” she said. “I dig.” She let her mind wander back to her time in Dorado, after she’d left Los Muertos and vanished into anonymity. “Some fucking old American soldier comes in and says Los Muertos is a criminal gang to be purged, and then Overwatch labels me a terrorist for trying to take down a greedy corporate monster bleeding my people dry. But who stopped them in the end?” Her subsequent laugh grew bitter. “Those same criminals and terrorists.”

Lúcio laughed softly. “The Vishkar gave me a similar label.”

“Guess the only difference between us were sweet beats,” Sombra replied, smiling.

“Well I mean you also  _do_  work for a terrorist organization.” Sombra glared at him, but it didn’t hold up against his wide smile. “What?”

“Okay, that’s fair.”

“Hey,” Lúcio said, sobering a bit. “Listen, I understand why you do what you do, and why you’ve done what you’ve done. I might not entirely get all your methods,” he smirked, “but I certainly understand your motivations.”

“Thank you,” she replied, swallowing. She felt an uneasy relief wash over her. “I suppose it goes without saying that if you tell anyone I’ll have to kill you?” She meant it as a joke, but considering recent events, it was difficult to commit entirely to the bit.

Luckily, Lúcio took it in stride. “Are you kidding me?” He shook his head. “You know way too many of my personal secrets at this point. I ain’t telling no one who you are.”

Standing up from the bench, he offered Sombra his hand. “I got your back, ok? You’re just going to have to trust me on that.”

Sombra looked up at the face smiling knowingly down at her. It was unlike her to take people at their word; against her very nature to engage in the roulette game of trust. She’d survived by accepting no compromise on the matter, protecting her anonymity with a ruthless cunning that left no room for exploitation.

Except that she’d let Widowmaker in - a genetically engineered assassin with limited emotional savvy who all things considered should have turned her in a dozen times. She’d let Gabriel in, too, if to a lesser extent, and the man could have ruined her life with the stroke of a pen if so inclined.

So what was one more open door if the person on the other side was willing to keep it safe?

Taking his hand, she let him pull her up into a hug. It felt nice, being close to someone that wasn’t Widow.

“All right,” she said, stepping back. Danu barked at them, and she interpreted it as approval, and the words came out easier than she ever would have thought. “I trust you.”


End file.
